Why I relocated to Warri- Gov Uduaghan

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel
Uduaghan, said his moving from Asaba, the
state capital to the oil city of Warri, in the last
few weeks, was to increase the tempo of
government activities in the south and central
senatorial districts of the state.
Speaking on a phone-in programme on Delta
Rainbow Television, DRTV, Warri, he said, “My
presence is to first increase the activities around here and it also gives me easy opportunity to carry out on the spot assessment of the things we are doing in terms of development and security.”

His words, “Yes, I have been in Warri for more
than a week now and since the beginning of this year, we have been in Warri. Across the world today, when you say the name Warri, what comes to mind is a place of crisis, which is not very true. Though there are some security
situations, it is not as bad as people are
projecting it. I am going to be in between here
and Asaba. I will be making my presence here
more visible than before,” he added.
The governor asserted, “We are doing a lot in
the state and there are people who are
complaining that we are not doing enough in
Warri and Effurun axis. Two, the security
situation in Warri axis is not improving the way
we expect it to be. In Asaba, there is
tremendous improvement. However, in Warri
axis, the situation is not improving. I decided
that my presence in Warri axis would be more
than it used to be.”

Investigations by Vanguard showed that in the
past few weeks, the governor had, indeed, been
inspecting road, school and other projects been
executed in Umeh, Warri, Effurun and other
towns in the two senatorial districts.

Last week, he was at Umeh in Isoko South Local
Government Area to the 7.6-kilometer Umeh
road, inspired, last year, by his rare interface
with the people on a Facebook page, “Umeh
Need Road Forum”, UNRF.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace of work by the contractor, Setraco Nigeria Limited,
saying, asphalting of the road would commence
in three weeks barring uncomplicated weather
situation.

On the 18-month target for the completion of
the road, Uduaghan was optimistic that it would
be met, but explained that N3.625 billion
project, had been reviewed by about N800
million because of inclusion of a bridge, which
was not captured in the earlier design.
At Enerhen Junction, Effurun, near Warri, which
had been been cleared of illegal structures and
traders that took over the road, he said, “We
want to open up Enerhen Junction and transform the place, what we are doing is a Junction improvement project.”

“We are going to do in Warri, Effurun and Asaba
also and when you see the place after we would
have transformed it, it would be like London,” he said, appealing to traders to keep their
environment clean at all times.

On why he ordered police to impound heavy-
duty machines, vehicles and wares displayed on
the walkway of the Refinery Road, Effurun,
currently under reconstruction, he said, “I am
not happy that people are selling on top of the
walkway, heavy –duty machines and vehicles
are also displayed on top of the walkway, this is
wrong.”